Love of Scotland, Hogmanay in Edinburgh

Updated 5 June, 2013

By: Houssem Wallace, Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia

I always admire the beauty of this land.

This country took all my interest of tradition and roots, and all my respect to history and stories, and all the love for the Scottish heroes that always give to Scotland the real name and the great meaning of freedom and knowledge.

Scotland has been always a wonderful country, and it may take all life long knowing this land for real. If you follow every part of it you will see many different meanings, and joy of knowing each place.

My love of Scotland began when i read about that great hero, Sir William Wallace.

Since then, Scotland became my only interest until now. But every day as i get to know this country more, my love for it becomes so strong. I can’t say more than this for now, but everyone knows he will share with me this true love of Scotland wherever he is, because love of a country can even be felt from another place in the world ….

… And because Scotland is always beautiful … always magical.

A lover of Scotland,

Houssem Wallace

Hogmanay in Edinburgh

By Meg Faichney, Airth, Falkirk.

When I was younger, being born and brought up in Edinburgh, summertime in Princess Street Gardens was great, looking forward to being kept up past bed time to watch the tattoo on tv.

It was never so good in black and white but I must admit, I was brought up in the 70/80s. I used to go to What Every Woman Wants (whatys) up the bridges wi my pals, for our “under a tenner” outfit for Hogmany.

What a state we looked like, but it never put the guys off us, we probably looked easy.

I’d say goodbye to my parents on Hogmany and go to my mates to get ready. Then we’d get the 44 bus to town, wi a bottle in our bags, and do a pub crawl along Rose Street.

The “Auld Hundred” was our local. It was great place to dance to, then at 11 o’clock we’d go up to the Auld Tron, meet up with folk we didnae ken, go to party after party, and then a week later we’d go hame to our parents and swear we’d never dae it again.

Oh these were the good days, no control freaks or paying a arm and a leg for tickets to stand in a street you walked along for nothing a couple of days before.

Ah, the smell of new year in Edinburgh Tron, the drink, the sick, and waking up in a doorway looking like something the cat would spit oot.

Them were the days!

Scotland’s Fur Me

By Meg Faichney, Airth, Falkirk.

I wis born and bred in our sweet capital Edinburgh.

When I wis wee we used to go up to Scalpe in Harris as my maw wis frae there, and we’d cut the peat and bring the bull in after havin his wicked ways wi the heelan coos.

I met my man in Edinburgh and all my memories are there, all the gid yins.

My 4 bairns are all grown up now, we’ve toured the country wi oor caravan, but have decided to settle in balquhidder.

Now my 2 granbairns are going their hols wi us to the caravan cos they luv the freedom of running aboot wi their wellies on, plus my man goes fishin in the lochs around us.

We will always come back to Scotland, anyone who is daft enough to stand at airports for hours and get Spanish tummy and try and learn a new language is auf their heeds, when we have an array of beauty here in Scotland.